Wednesday, June 29, 2011

HRC Store Vandalized, Radical Queer Group Claims Responsibility

This is about as useful as board shorts in Antarctica.

The HRC store staff in DuPont Circle arrived to work this morning to find the store vandalized, with cosmetic damage done in the form of pink paint on the window and the word "Stonewall" spray-painted on the sidewalk. The act was claimed by a group calling themselves the "The Right Honorable Wicked Stepmothers’ Traveling, Drinking and Debating Society and Men’s Auxiliary," and urged the gay community (after referencing snorting ritalin and drinking whisky) to cease giving money to the gay rights giant.

"Why, you’re asking, did we specifically target the HRC, a massive national gay rights non-profit as opposed to vomiting urine on Rick Santorum or something equally fun?

"Put simply, they suck. What do they suck? Cash. Lots of it.

"The HRC rakes in something approaching 50 million dollars a year in revenue–their executive director, Joe Salmonellamayonaisemanese pulls in a salary of several hundred grand. What have we gotten out of this bloated carcass? Not a thing worth mentioning and every now and then, they eagerly sell trans people up the river. Seriously, this is an organization that hordes money and does nothing useful. It’s a sad, sick dinosaur.

"Meanwhile, in Washington, DC violence against the LGBT community is on the rise; DC’s only LGBT center is forced to go hat in hand to real estate developers and beg for space, only to face eviction a few years down the road; We lack a homeless shelter for queer youth and services for our community are the victims of budget cuts. Can you think of something better to do with a few million dollars?"

They then suggested that money could be better used by buying glitter (cute, guys, cute).

I've often been a critic of the HRC and other organizations falling under the tongue-in-cheek term "Gay Inc," but vandalizing property on a whim while extolling the effects of snorting ritalin is not only stupid, but completely pointless. I hate to say it, but I agree with the HRC's Director of Communications, Michael Cole Schwartz:

"HRC’s DC Action Center and Store was vandalized last night with paint on the front windows and an LGBT group has claimed responsibility for the crime. It’s unfortunate that after a marriage win in New York that represented an unprecedented coming together of LGBT groups, some are more interested in fostering division in the community."

Do I think that the HRC alone is to thank for marriage equality in New York? Hell no. Do I think the HRC's efforts are ineffective? Most times. Do I think they are Democratic apologists? Uh-huh. Should we wreck their shit? Hell no, what's the point of that?

I remember talking with a professor who taught Philosophy of Protest once. He outlined 5 elements that are generally considered needed in order for an act to constitute civil disobedience. I forget the whole list, but there's definitely a few missing here. For example, you cannot be anonymous and must accept the consequences of breaking the law. This act was unfortunately simply a crime. (And does it need repeating that HRC deserves criticism at this point?)

One of the express purposes of this blog, as I have said before, is to hold our leaders accountable, both on the left AND right. HRC is frequently the subject of my ire, and I do not invalidate many of the points these hooligans make.

However, wanton destruction of property does NOT constitute civil disobedience. It has nothing to do with Stonewall, and I think if those "ladies" and gentlemen from eras past were to see this BS, they would think it just as pointless.